


The Moon's Dust

by YouthRhapsody



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Breeding, Character Death, M/M, Moth Lio, au where there are bug ppl instead of burnish, feels trip, intersex genitals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:14:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25126825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YouthRhapsody/pseuds/YouthRhapsody
Summary: "The Buggish. A species discovered by man thirty years ago.These beasts reproduce and replicate the genetic material of other living things by ingesting their blood. Mankind has long since been the favored prey of these monsters- and ever since their discovery, we have lived in fear.But now, the buggish terror is finally being driven out- all but a small handful of their species remain. It is important now more than ever that they be exterminated from our planet."
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 46
Kudos: 144





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, somebody had to write this. I am once again taking the burden. 
> 
> This is an AU where there are no burnish, but instead a species of insect that can use the DNA of other animals to take a similar shape and breed with them to propagate their own species. Make of this what you will, and enjoy!

"The Buggish. A species discovered by man thirty years ago. 

These beasts reproduce and replicate the genetic material of other living things by ingesting their blood. Mankind has long since been the favored prey of these monsters- and ever since their discovery, we have lived in fear. 

But now, the buggish terror is finally being driven out. All but a small handful of their species remain. It is important now more than ever that they be exterminated from our planet."

The recording stops playing. Galo straps on his boots. 

  
  


...

Drip. Drip. Drip. 

Water falls from the ceiling, adding a metronome like tone to the otherwise silent depths. Mushrooms peek out from beneath old and crumbling walls, and the skitter of mice can be heard beneath crumbling iron floors. Mold and must clog the air in a thick, vile cloud, hardly suitable for the spiders spinning their cobwebs there.

However- it is the prime location for a buggish. 

The heavy bottoms of boots join the quiet dripping in the distance. They creep, tiptoeing as lightly as they could on such a brittle surface. Rather, they stalk, stealthy and hungry while their owner searches for his prey.

Galo pokes his head around a corner of the old warehouse. Long since abandoned and several times flooded, the rotting facility had become the place of his hunt. 

The Exterminator Squad, a trained and armed unit dedicated to eradicating buggish infestation, had cracked down hard on the creatures. Traveling to forests and trudging through sewers, not a single one of the creatures had been spared their lives. Excluding perhaps those sold into captivity. 

Now, only one had been rumored to remain in the wild. And Galo Thymos, rookie exterminator, had been given the task of hunting it down. Maybe the higher ups were sure he'd die, and they could afford to lose him. Maybe they felt bad, seeing as he may well be out of a job within the coming months. He should get one good kill under his belt. 

But, Galo could have cared less. The threat of buggish lurked in his mind- and he would proudly exterminate them. After all- an enormous buggish beetle had broken through the ceiling of his childhood home, tearing through electrical wires and burning itself and all of the other inhabitants alive. How Galo had made it out, he isn't sure. But, that event had given him the burning passion to protect others from buggish infestation. 

Remembering the thunderous sound of flapping wings and snapping wires, Galo gulps. This is why he'd joined the Extermination Squad, to help protect others from what he'd suffered. He had to be strong. 

"Hm?" Galo pauses as something powdery comes up underneath his feet. He peers at the material, shimmery and delicate. He shudders to think that he could be going face to face with a spider, known to feast on large prey. But, he presses on. 

Turning a corner, Galo spots a light at the end of a long hall. He pauses for half of a step, but continues. Drawing his spray gun, he creeps ever closer to the source of the light. Then, with the tip of his boot, he presses open the door. It gives a long, agonizing creak, and Galo immediately holds his weapon forward.

A giant beetle does not come falling down onto him. In fact, the room seems quite empty. Still cautious, he enters the small space.

Then, he gasps in shock at its contents. 

A massive, silvery cocoon hangs from the rafters- glimmering from the aura of a single lightbulb. Cracked and dangling, its contents had already escaped. 

"Hey. We've got a pupa down here, looks like whoever was in it already took off." Galo speaks into a walkie talkie. 

Drip. Drip. Drip.

"Huh... It's still wet."

His ears perk up. His first thought is 'how did a bird get itself trapped down here?' As the sound grows louder, he ponders how a very large bird got down there. But, as shimmering dust comes to tickle the end of his nose, his final thought is 'oh, fuck.'

Galo's head shoots up, and he comes eye to eye with two black, glassy orbs leering down at him. A buggish that had stolen human DNA to achieve its form sits high above on a rafter, its legs spread obnoxiously wide. As if to say 'look, what a pathetic little human'. 

Galo grits his teeth. "Hey! Don't stare at me like that you oversized flea!" He barks, turning his weapon upward. He fires a shot- and the creature swoops down. 

"Ack-!" It lands a kick square in his nose, sending the exterminator flying back into the wall. Blood spurts out of his snout, but he shakes it off. The Moth-type buggish tip toes toward him. Galo smirks. 

"What're you gonna do to me now, big guy? You're only a moth type. You don't have a mouth, or claws, or anything to attack me with." 

The creature punches him, boxing him square in the jaw. 

Galo stumbles back. "You little-!" He reels up, connecting his foot with the underside of the humanoid's jaw. The thing had no mouth- so it only angrily buzzes its wings at the man as he attacks it. It's hard to think much about what comes next. A flurry of punches and kicks, rolling around in the dimly lit room. Galo bars the door, preventing the creature from escape. 

He falls to the ground, holding his side after a hard kick. The moth creature steps over him, peering down with eyes that could have held a universe within their inky depths. A low, threatening hum comes from its wings. 

"Looks like I'm defenseless, huh?" Galo snirks. "Think again!" 

Pulling another device from the pocket he had rolled over onto, Galo shoots a wire cord out and toward the creature. It noiselessly falters as the wire wraps tight around its form, leaving it to fall and trash. Galo could have been blown back by the furious beat of its wings. 

"No use fighting it anymore. Your time's up! You chose the wrong day to hatch." Galo snickers. 

He blinks. The creature almost looks... Hurt. But he'd always been told that they couldn't feel pain, insects didn't have that kind of capacity in their brains. He scoops the creature up, and slings it over his shoulder. 

It's so light, Galo thinks as the thing squirms in his arms. 

...

"After thirty years of living in terror at the hands of this invasive species- the final known wild buggish has been captured. By none other than the Extermination Squad's rookie hero- Galo Thymos!"

Galo beams as the mayor of Promepolis bestows a medal on him. He's a hulking, almost heroic looking man, who somehow looks familiar. Maybe just from being on television. 

Cameras flash, people cheer, and dozens of microphones are held up into his face. Galo answers them proudly. But, he doesn't feel much like he can really be called a hero. Did he deserve to wear this medal on his chest, when he'd really just been in the right place at the right time? 

After all of the blur, Galo feels an unfamiliar hand on his shoulder. "You've done a good job, Mr. Thymos. Why don't you follow me?"

"Sure!" Galo chirps, though he groans internally. He just wanted to go get a slice of pizza or something. "Mr. Foresight."

"Right. It won't be long- follow me." 

Galo trails behind the giant man. Led into the tower at the center of the city, he suddenly realizes the intensity of the situation. Was he going to be shown some kind of buggish secret? Maybe buggish were controlling the government and Mr. Foresight secretly was one. Well, this wasn't an anime, so maybe they'd just show his capture to him one more time before putting it in some kind of zoo. 

His hunch seems correct. He's led to a small room, not too much unlike the one that he'd found the creature in. A single light dangles above its head, and he feels a twinge of guilt. A caged moth, unable to reach the light.

Eyes falling on the creature, he is not met with the defeated, horrified stare of an animal that knows that it is the end. Rather- the creature's eyes radiate a burning fury. The words 'you put me here', resonate in Galo's brain, and he gulps as the light dangles over their heads. 

"This is it. The final buggish known to be in the wild." The governor states. "These pests have caused the whole world a great deal of trouble. And you're going to be fully responsible for ending their reign of terror. Consider it your reward."

Galo feels a tug at his arm. And then, something heavy and cold finds its way into his palm. He blinks, cocks his head, and goes stiff. 

The larger man just gives him a knowing grin. Like Galo should have leapt up with a triumphant 'yippee!' And put a bullet between a caged creature's eyes. "...You want me to shoot it?" He asks, letting his boisterous mask fall away.

"Well of course." The governor tells him. 

"But- it could go live in a zoo, or a sanctuary, I can't just kill it!" He protests. 

"All buggish currently in captivity were born there, and they'll die there. This one already has a taste for human blood." The larger man turns. "You have five minutes. If you haven't killed the thing by then, I'll just have to take matters into my own hands."

Galo's heart drops. 

He looks back over his shoulder as the door closes. The buggish continues to peer up at him, fur in a bottlebrush shape and antennae peeled back in a furious scowl. 

Galo holds the gun, weighing it in his hand. He thinks back to the fire that had burned his house down, caused by a nesting beetle that had reached impossible size. Spiders that would terrorize the nightmares of human children, and centipedes that lurked meters long beneath their feet. Or, so they once had. 

This lone thing remains. The last left to be free. Part insect, and... Part person. 

Galo had sworn to protect people, right? 

He kneels down, and opens the cage. Hate filled eyes go round with shock. 

"I don't... I dunno if you can understand me. But I'm a friend. I'll get you out of here." 

Galo rolls back. Wild, frantic flapping centers him in the middle of a wind tunnel of terror. The buggish claws at the wall, slamming into the light and jostling it all around. "Agh, hang on! Stop!" He hisses, trying to keep his voice down. 

Then, he realizes- the gun. Equipped with a laser pointer at its tip for improved aim. Galo acts quick, groping the walls until finally finding the purchase of a light switch. Now he had trapped himself in the moth's element- but that would work in their favor. 

He points the gun, activating its light. The moth follows it, searching for its guidance in the blackness. Galo points it up and into the air vent- where the creature slams up through the grate and into the hole. Galo can hear it skittering away. But, he has to act quick. 

He strips himself, yanking off his underpants, socks, and tank top. Anything beneath his uniform that couldn't be seen beneath his heavy extermination gear. Reaching into his back pocket, he withdraws a tiny stick. Pressing a button on its side- he ignites a small, concentrated flame. His clothes catch light- and he stands back. Turning the light on once again, he's actually to see some blood from the creature spotting the floor. 

He fires a single shot. 

Moments later, the door opens behind him. 

"An-" Comes a heavy gasp. "Why did you burn it?!" 

Galo hangs his head. "If it had to die, it at least deserved some respect to its body." He hands the gun back to the other man, smaller than he'd seemed before. 

...

Come on... Come on...

Galo watches from across the street. Any money he'd made in the last week had gone to this stupid hotel room. Hell, he didn't live far. But that wasn't the point- this view of the city center wasn't for pleasure, but a purpose. Galo peers out, his eyes scanning constantly over the newly darkened sky. 

"Don't be dead little guy..." He grunts. Even as tiny as he was, he could have easily gotten stuck in the ventilation system. 

But the moon was on their side, it seemed. From his spot floors. Below, Galo can see a jitter atop one of the air conditioning units. 

It falls off- and a head pops out. 

From that point, Galo flees his hotel room, leaving it behind to jump two at a time down the stairs. 

Bursting out the front door and past a pair of very surprised hostesses, he watches a body fall against the moon. His heart sinks- and Galo sprints across the street, mindlessly dodging traffic. 

He picks the alley closest to where he believes the form plummeted, and just hopes for the best. "Hey!" He calls out. 

Something pops up from inside of an overstuffed dumpster. And, with a powerful flap, it leaps up toward the nearest lamp. While definitely part human, Galo had to chalk the thing down as being sixty percent moth. 

"Over here!" He calls. And, at first, the creature recoils. But it pauses, hovering in midair like some kind of fairy. 

"I don't want to hurt you. I'm... I'm sorry for how I treated you before." He gulps. 

The moth hovers for a moment, and comes down. It blinks, feelers forward as it inspects the human. Galo notices cuts along its arms and legs, and he frowns. "Those look nasty. Uh... Wanna maybe, go back to my place?"

It leers at him, suspicious. 

Galo holds up his phone, turning the brightness to max. "Now do you wanna come?" 

It leaps at him, eyes starry as it takes in the light.

"Ack! Calm down, you'll be in big trouble if someone sees you!"

...

Somehow or another, Galo manages to wrangle the buggish onto his motorbike. Cut and bruised, he's sure that the creature can't be comfortable. But, with a few scoots forward, he manages to get the message across. 

The moth wraps its hard forearms around him. He has ho fingers even to squeeze with- so Galo takes it slow, putting the long way home through alleys and empty streets. 

"Okay big guy. Work with me. You stay right here for a second." Galo hops off of the bike, situated beside another dumpster. "I'm gonna go get something to cover you up with, and then we can go up to my apartment, alright?"

He receives no answer but a blank, black stare. 

"I'll take that as a yes." Galo half groans. He turns, and hears a step behind him. 

The moth trails behind, curiously following along. 

"No- you gotta stay. Staaaaaaay." Galo holds his hands out. The creature cocks its head. But, as he moves to the entrance of his apartment complex, it does as told. The human has no earthly idea how much the buggish can actually understand him. Typically those who took on a human shape could understand simple questions, and even mimic speech, but this one's lack of mouth rendered him entirely mute. 

Climbing up the elevator, Galo crosses his fingers in the hope that the creature had stayed put. All he needed was a hoodie to stuff the thing in. So he fumbles quick with his keys, flipping on the light. Out of anxiousness alone, he moves to his window to peek out and see if the creature had stayed put. 

Opening the glass up, Galo pokes his head out. A white, fluffy thing stands behind a dumpster, and he feels relief wash over him. 

"Be right there!" He whispers. The thing turns its head up- and suddenly, it isn't so little anymore. 

"Uwah-!" Galo stumbles back as the creature leaps upward from the ground below, fluttering into his apartment. The thing makes a crash landing with him, knocking everything in his apartment out of place with the fierce beating of its wings.

"Calm down! You're alright." The human tells it. The moth blinks, and tucks its wings away. Shimmering dust flutters down in a cloud around it, bedazzling the better half of Galo's living room. "Geez... Oh well, you're safe now!" He stands, and moves to close the window. 

The creature kneels on the floor, quietly observing its surroundings. Now that his secret had itself plopped onto his floor, Galo feels his heart rate pick up. He'd be tossed in prison for years if anyone found this thing living with him. But... It feels worth it, as it stretches out and flaps its wings. 

"You're all banged up." Galo comments at the cuts and bruises on its form. "Hang tight, I'll get something for your injuries." 

He moves to the bathroom, and the creature doesn't follow. Galo rummages about. Not knowing what effect a spray disinfectant might have on a buggish, he sticks with a box of band-aids. 

Coming to kneel beside the creature, Galo shakes the box. "Here we go."

The moth blinks, perplexed by the rattling sound. He backs up a bit, but Galo shakes his head. 

"I'm not going to hurt you." He promises. But still, the moth seems wary. Galo hangs his head a bit lower. "...I know it's my fault that you're here. And my fault that you're all banged up. But I'll help you now to apologize. Okay?" 

The moth blinks, and holds out its arm. Galo spots a fresh wound, oozing a yellow goo that made up the creature's blood. 

He opens the box, unwrapping one of the bandages. He can see the creature's antennae perked up, twitching with each movement he made. Galo spreads one of the bandages out, and lays it over the cut. He gives a gentle rub to adhere it, and leans back. "There we go."

The moth examines its bandage, shaking it a bit. 

It leans forward, and bumps its head against Galo's chin. 

'Thank you'. 

"No problemo big guy..." He chuckles. Then, he pauses. "Huh. I guess I can't keep calling you that... Hell, I don't even know if you're a guy."

The moth's lower eyelids curl up, as if it were smiling. 

"What's that look for? Okay, You're a dude, we're sticking with that for now!" He nods. "But now I should probably give you a name..." He rubs his chin. "Lemme look up some cool names for a moth."

He opens his phone, and finds some popup attached to his home screen. 

"Your horoscope for Leo"

"Leo... Hey, that's not a bad idea! But you're a moth, not a lion." He hums. "So let's go with L-I-O. Sound good?"

The moth shrugs. Galo blinks with surprise. 

"How much can you understand of what I'm saying?" The human asks. 

The moth shrugs again. 

"Geez... You're gonna be a handful." 

Lio leans back, kicking his leg up as if he were lounging on the beach. 

"Hey! You can't just lie around on the floor! I'll make you some kind of bed..."

...

"There we go!" Galo exclaims, standing beside his creation with both hands on his hips. A makeshift nest sits laid out on the floor, complete with an old blanket. Meant to be white, it had been dyed pink after a run in with a pair of red pants. 

Lio eyes it suspiciously. Maybe to him, it came off as being some kind of spider's web. Now that he had some footing, Lio had made his exceedingly ornery personality known. 

He pokes one of the cushions, and scowls.

"Ah- I forgot the important part!" Galo moves around the creature, reaching down for a little lamp set beside the entire spread. Pulling the cord, it lights up. And with it, so do Lio's eyes. 

He settles down onto the bed fluttering his wings and growing used to the soft feel of it. He rests on his belly, settling with his head beside the electric glow. 

"That better?" Galo chuckles. 

He receives a direct nod. At this point, he's sure that Lio can definitely understand some of what he's saying. That's a bit strange, considering his entirely alien nature. He can't speak, nor does he have proper facial expressions, or even fingers. But somehow, he manages to communicate.

Galo smiles. "Hey, Lio... I'm beat. Tomorrow night we'll find somewhere that you can be free." 

Lio makes a buzzing sound with his wings. 

"That sounds good, right? I'm sure you're probably pissed enough with humans. One more day and you'll be on your little buggy way! I'll make sure of it!" 

Lio doesn't nod this time, only blinking. He settles back into his bed, and relaxes. 

Galo leaves the light on for him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, I had to include Kray. He's just a dick who somehow managed to get elected into office in this fic, but I felt like I should slip him in there somwhere.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! This fic is actually complete, it just needs a bit of editing. I'll post new chapters each day until they're all up. But in the meantime, leave a comment and let me know if you're enjoying the story thus far! And if you want more moth lio shitposting as well as promare content, follow my twitter! https://twitter.com/spicienoodle
> 
> thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the kind comments you've left so far! Writing this was super fun, and I'm glad other ppl enjoy it too.

Lio sleeps in for a while the following morning, curled up in a little ball that doesn't move but for the occasional twitch. Thankfully enough, Galo had been given the day off. So, he uses his time to sip on a mug of coffee and watch the buggish sleep. Lio doesn't breathe, which is incredibly uncanny. He just lies there, eyes closed and body wholly motionless. 

But eventually, he does stir. 

"Morning." Galo offers. "You hungry?"

Lio narrows his eyes at him, mouthlessly.

"Oh yeah. No equipment." Galo states. "How are you supposed to eat anything?"

Lio shrugs.  _ Beats me. _

"Riiight." Galo bites into his own lunch. "So... Where do moths like to live? The woods, right?" He questions. 

Lio only sits up and stretches, leaving Galo to muse to himself. "Hmm... Butterflies like flowers, and moths like... Closets? Basements? That seems like kind of a cruddy place to live. I don't think anyone will find you in the forest."

Lio stands, sunning himself a bit. He walks forward, shockingly human in his stride, black eyes fixed onto Galo. He pulls out a chair, and sits. Just as if he would lean back and start talking about the weather. 

Galo gawks for a moment. Lio just peers at him, annoyed. 

_ I'm human too, you know.  _ He seems to say. 

Galo gulps. "I guess you are half person, right? And half moth? Makes sense that you do people things."He blinks, and rubs the back of his head. "What do you want, Lio?" 

The creature flaps its wings.

"Yeah... It's best if you have somewhere to fly around and spread your wings!" He nods. "I hope you won't be lonely. Supposedly, you're the last buggish alive that isn't locked up in a zoo or a lab."

Lio looks a bit surprised at that, and then, moves as if he were sighing. Galo puts an arm around his slender shoulder, careful of his wings. 

"Hey now! Don't be so doom and gloom. I'll come visit!"

Lio's antennae perk up. 

...

Convincing Lio to wear clothes proved nothing less than a nightmare. His wings were obviously stuffed up beneath the cloth, and it clung awkwardly to the hard parts of his exoskeleton. 

"Hey man, if you wanna live to see tomorrow, you're gonna have to cover up."

He didn't know that a buggish could  _ pout  _ the way that Lio could. If he could have puffed out his cheek, then he most certainly would have. But with much prodding, he relents. Cooped up in baggy pants and a hoodie, Lio follows undetected to the bike outside.

"Alright Lio, you know the drill. Hang on tight!" Galo exclaims whilst starting the engine. He feels a little nod against the back of his neck.

With that, Galo takes off. He passes each car wondering if someone will notice the black eyes pressed to his shoulder. But, thankfully the night gives them cover- and everyone else has their attention fixed to the road. 

Galo leaves the city limits, putting uphill as Lio squirms behind him. 

"Almost there." He assures the creature. 

The concrete turns to gravel, then to dirt, as the pair leave the city and enter the woods. 

"Alright! This should do it. We're about as far away from civilization as I can reasonably get ya." Galo turns the key. Lio's eyes are still bolted shut for a second- but he slowly opens one, and then the other, blinking in his silent way. 

The moth dismounts, somehow balancing on two pointed feet. He strides forward along the dirt path- and he removes the hoodie from over his back. Then, the pants from his legs, leaving him bare. 

Galo watches as the whole span of Lio's wings lift up, shivering, sending a wave of glimmering dust from their surface. The moth poses himself like a ballerina. Taut and graceful, yet keeping his balance all the same. 

Lio takes off, leaving the earth behind. Galo gawks as the buggish lifts his body with the utmost ease. His eyes closed and his form seeming weightless, Galo wonders if the buggish had finally found a moment of happiness since pupation. He's entrancing, beautiful, and in his element. Galo watches in awe- but with a twinge of sadness, as well. 

Darting across the moon and back into the dark, Lio disappears into the forest. Galo is left alone, to give an indignant huff. "Not even a goodbye..." He tuts. Then, he starts up his bike again. 

With a massive flutter, an unidentified flying ball of fluff propels itself at him. Galo is met with an angry looking moth glaring at him from the front of his motorbike. 

_ Now where do you think you're going?! _

"What?!" Galo holds his hands up. "Go on, you're free! I won't bu- uh, I won't bother you anymore!" 

Lio nearly knocks him over, dropping himself from a foot into the air and onto the handlebars. 

_ You are NOT leaving without me. _

"Lio! Get your furry ass off of my handlebars-"

A kick to his arm.  _ 'No.' _

"You can't come home with me. You're a buggish, not a human, so you can't just hang around! You deserve to be free, and to live out in the wild." Galo protests. 

Lio shakes his head with intense fervor. He pats his two arms against his chest, and then punts Galo's ribs in a stern prod. 

_ I am human too.  _

"I mean... You're part human-"

_ Human.  _ Lio prods him again. Then, he lowers his eyes, rubbing the sides of his arms in a hugging motion.  _ Lonely.  _

Galo's jaw drops. "I mean... Surely there are other..."

Lio glares at him again.  _ How dare you leave me. You're the reason why I'm alone. _

The human hangs his head. "Listen... I know you're lonely. I can't imagine what it would be like, being the last of my kind. But you gotta understand Lio, I'm doing this because I  _ care  _ about you. I don't want anyone to hurt you."

The moth's antennae fall with his shoulders. He blinks, and steps off of the handlebars. 

He begins to step away. Galo listens to the thrum of his engine, grinding his teeth. 

"Lio!" 

The moth turns to face him. 

"I'm sorry. You're right... it's the fault of people like me that you're alone. I can't... I can't bring back the other buggish. But, I can at least keep you company, right?"

He pats the back of his seat- and Lio flies to it. 

...

And so, Galo finds himself at home once again, with a wild buggish nestled quite contentedly in its nest beside him. Lio buzzes occasionally, but is otherwise quiet. 

However, the human is not so silent. "So Lio. What's it like, being buggish? Like, why'd you choose to take the shape of a person, and not like a raccoon or something?"

Lio looks up from his lamp, blinking a few times. He points to Galo, and smiles with his black eyes. 

"What's that mean?" Galo cocks his head to the side. "Man, I'm gonna be really good at charades... But uh, you like people? Is that it?"

Lio nods. He comes to sit, once again perched with his legs wide open. 

"If I remember from my training to become an exterminator, buggish start out their lives as worms right?" He rubs his chin. "But then, they bite another living thing, and then morph into something part bug, and part whatever they want. So right now, there's a human Lio running around out there?"

The moth nods.  _ Most likely. _

"Ah... That's so weird to think about. So you like people, and we threw you in a cage and tried to put a bullet in your brain." Galo sits forward, and sighs. "I'm sorry."

Lio draws his eyes to a tight shut, and slowly opens them.  _ It's... Alright.  _

"But what about humans is it that you like?"

Lio points to his chest.

"You like our souls, huh?" Galo snorts. "Well, this should work out! My soul burns with a passionate fire bright enough to feed a whole flock of moths, maybe more!"

Lio gives him a wry stare.  _ Is that so? _

"Don't look at me like that!" Galo retorts. "If I do something, I do it with everything that I've got, because I believe in it! That's why I-" He pauses. "...That's why I became an exterminator in the first place! When I was a kid, one built a nest in my attic. It fell through the roof, and it ended up starting an electrical fire. I'm the only one who made it out."

The moth's antennae fall low onto his head. He gives a soft nod. 

"I guess I thought it was the fault of that bug. I hated it for what it did to me, but now that I know better, I..." 

Galo pulls his badge from his pocket. "I can't do it anymore!" 

He chucks the object to the ground. "I thought I was protecting people! But you're human too! You get lonely, and you make jokes, and you can understand me! I can't go around hunting buggish. You're just doing what you need to to survive."

Lio's black eyes go wide, and he watches Galo frustratedly stamp the badge into the ground. He stands- and bumps the bottom of Galo's chin once again with his head. 

_ Thank you.  _

Galo sniffs, a bit teary in his frustration. "It's no problem. I'll find something else I can be passionate about!" 

Lio gives him his odd, mouthless smile.

...

This had been his dream. 

Galo had worked so hard to become an exterminator. Poured for hours over buggish biology, trained with his weapons until his wrists hurt, and paid damn near all of his inheritance for the education. 

Now, he holds his badge in his hand, waiting outside the quiet hall of his commander's door. How was he supposed to pay rent, feed himself? Take care of Lio? Maybe this was a bad idea, maybe things would change!

He takes a deep breath. 

"Hey chief?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gjksjsjsjs I'm having a fun time writing Lio. He has no mouth and he must sass.
> 
> Thanks again for reading! Let me know what you thought, and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spice Time

_ I'm proud of you.  _

That's what the pat on Galo's back seems to say. 

The man picks his head up out of his hands. "Hey. Thanks for being here, man." He mutters. "Things are crazy, huh? Just a week ago I was all excited to go on my first real hunting mission, and here I am. Out of a job, and the buggish I was supposed to kill is my roommate."

Lio nods.  _ You did the right thing. Don't look down on yourself.  _

"I'm trying my best... Say, you were all wrapped up in a cocoon just a few days ago. I bet that feels weird."

_ You don't even know.  _ Lio's expression tells him. 

Galo picks himself up. "Alright, enough time for moping! Tomorrow is a new day, full of new opportunities!" He leaps up from the couch. "It's a special occasion. And a special occasion calls for a party!" 

Lio's antennae perk up as Galo sashays his way into the kitchen. "I may or may not have grabbed a few things on my way back."

The blue headed human opens up his fridge, Lio's curious eyes behind him. He holds up two bottles of beer, and shoots the moth a grin. 

Lio's feelers peel back.  _ What am I supposed to do with that? _

"Hold your horses mothman, I got something for you too."

Lio flutters up, hovering into the kitchen. This time, Galo had rearranged for things to stay in place should his roommate take to the air.

Lio buzzes curiously as the human pulls a box out of the fridge. But Galo turns his back, hiding the contents from the investigating insect. 

"No peeking! Close your eyes." The human insists.

Lio squints. 

"Cloooose your eyes. It'll be worth it."

The buggish squints his black orbs closed, crossing his arms with a silent huff. 

Meanwhile, Galo fiddles with the contents of the package. Styrafoam and plastic find their way onto the kitchen counter, and there's a thunk as the object is laid down. Lio taps his pointed foot impatiently as he's led on by the sound of Galo's rummaging. 

"One more sec-" Galo pads over to the light switch, and flicks it, leaving them in darkness. "Alright. Open up!"

Then, he skitters over to where Lio stands, just in time to see his face. 

Spinning in an array of dancing, bright colors, is a plastic disco ball. It's the same kind that one might see at a high school dance or a thrown together party- but it still lights up the space of Galo's kitchen in a multicolored array. 

Lio moves his head from side to side, mesmerized by the lights as they spin and twirl in every direction around him. He touches the wall, like a cat drawn to a laser pointer, and misses. He repeats this action- until the human part of his brain catches up with him, and he  _ blushes.  _ Galo hadn't known that buggish could accomplish something so inherently human. 

"Do you like it? I mean, I know you like lights, so-"

Lio bumps his chin enthusiastically.  _ Thank you! Thank you! _

Galo laughs, patting the smaller creature on his head. "It's no problem!" He flips the cap off of his beer. "Now c'mon, let's have a little fun, huh?"

The man reaches out, mirroring Lio's attempt to capture one of the spinning lights. He fails of course, but he can see Lio giggle, just in the way that his shoulders shake. His wings wiggle, and the multicolored lights bounce off of the inky black of his eyes. 

This turns into a match that neither of them can win. Only catching blue ones, only catching green ones, pretending each time like they had been just so close to actually holding the light in their grasps.

Galo takes the last swig of his beer, and reaches out for a purple light. But, it would seem that Lio had taken aim for the same spot. The two smack into one another, tumbling to the floor in a neon vortex.

"Oof... Sorry Lio, you ok?" The human questions whilst rubbing his now sore ass.

The moth nods, shaking out his antennae. He holds himself up over Galo, blinking slow. 

The man beneath him laughs. "What's that look supposed to be?"

Lio bumps his face right onto his, slowly. It's not the thank-you bump. Just pressing the smooth edge of his face against the curves of Galo's nose and lips. 

"Is there something on my face?" The man chuckles again. Lio looks at him with some kind of confusion, and then tilts his head to one side. He repeats the motion, squishing against Galo's lips in something almost like a kiss. 

"Pfft, cut that out, it tickles!" Galo turns his head away. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to kiss me."

Lio pulls his head back up. He stares. Galo's smile fades.

"...Were you trying to kiss me?"

A nod.  _ Mhm. _

Galo's mouth falls open a bit. What was happening? Wasn't that bestiality? He needed to get out of this situation. 

Lio buzzes, and tilts his head, 'kissing' him again. Galo can feel a smooth, low rumble in the creature's abdomen.

"Lio-" He pushes at the creature, earning a hurt glance. Galo can feel his heart pounding, and his hand knocks the beer bottle to roll away to a different part of the floor. That hand comes to rest on the smooth plane of Lio's face. 

"...Lemme kiss you back, okay?" He mumbles. 

The colored lights fade away as Galo closes his eyes. The hum in Lio's abdomen is met by the furious pounding in his chest. He knows this is wrong. He remembers hearing about buggish using their morphed species to reproduce. How gross the thought had been, to be enough of a perverted bastard to even think of touching a buggish. 

But the smell of Lio is so sweet, and his fur feels like home- even when he's already sat on his own floor. So warm, and so welcoming, like it had been made for Galo to stroke. 

He kisses Lio's face right where a man's mouth would have been. And of course, he can't be kissed back. But he just doesn't care. It feels good anyways.

Lio pulls back from him a bit, his face red. Even he looks a bit ashamed at himself. For a buggish with as much brainpower as he had- Galo can tell that the pins of his moral compass were spinning. 

"...You're cute." Galo whispers. "Have I told you that yet? You look like a big, pretty teddy bear. I'm worried I'll break you if I touch you."

Lio gives an indignant flip of his antennae.  _ I'm not that fragile.  _

Galo smirks. He reaches out, and pinches Lio's ass. "You're tough enough huh?" He asks.

_ Yes.  _ Lio nods. 

The human chews on his lip. "B... Buggish who take the shape of humans use us to make more buggish, right?" He stammers a bit. 

The moth pauses for a second.  _ We can. Yes.  _

Galo turns his head. "You don't... Just want to use me, right? To build your population?"

Lio pokes him with the end of his arm.  _ How dare you accuse me of that!  _ If silence could raise its voice, Lio had made it happen. 

"I'm sorry!" Galo apologizes. 

The moth squints hard, frustratedly jabbing Galo's chest.  _ I like you! I want to touch because I like you! _

"I get it, I get it! That hurts!" The human squirms beneath Lio's prodding. 

Lio stops. His antennae go limp, and he kneels down, giving one of his butterfly kisses to Galo's chest. 

"Hey, don't worry. You didn't really hurt me." The human explains. Lio pops his head back up, and nods slowly. 

But then, the moth stands. The lights continue to circle around them as Lio reaches out his arm. Galo takes it, goosebumps running up his arm at the feeling of his exoskeleton. It had hundreds of tiny little hooks, holding onto his skin like velcro. But it doesn't hurt- and it gives the creature just a good enough traction to lift Galo up from the floor. 

However, Lio pulls back. He flutters his wings in the dark, walking backward with a lilt in his hips. Galo wonders where a fucking moth learned how to be seductive?! His human counterpart must have been a serious minx for Lio to be so alluring. Or, perhaps he had begun to secrete some sort of pheremone to lure Galo into fucking him. 

Either way, the human doesn't care. Entranced, he follows Lio step by step while the creature leads him to his nest. 

Lio lies on his side, tucking up his wings and giving Galo a good look at his ass. The colored dots are larger the farther they move from their source, lighting the moth's body a whole new hue every couple of seconds. He slides his 'hand' down his side, slowly, teasing Galo as it disappears into his fur. 

He hesitates for a second, but flashes a little glancing smile. Lio spreads his legs open, showing off the center of his hips. 

"Woah..." Galo gasps. For a few seconds he thinks that maybe he'd mistaken Lio for a girl. But then, he spots something prodding up out of his fur. It's not very big, but it's a cock, hard and poking out from the crown of his pussy. Galo gives a wry grin anyway. "You're rocking some unique equipment there, aren't you?" He chuckles. 

Lio gives an embarrassed glare. But Galo only leans over, swirling his finger over the exoskeletal tip of his knee. "There's nothing wrong with it! It's part of what makes you so cool. Be proud of it."

Galo takes to the nest below, crawling over Lio. It becomes apparent just how tiny he is in comparison, looking up with the same thought of 'oh, since when is he that big?'. 

"I'm not gonna hurt you, promise." Galo assures the creature. "In fact, if I do anything you don't like, you just thump the floor with your hand twice in a row. That work?"

Lio nods slowly, making a small 'thump thump' to show that he'd gotten the message. 

"Got it." Galo gently flips the other over onto his back. "... But don't worry. I'm gonna make you feel real, real good. I know you're a little different from what I'm used to... But I'll give it my all!"

The moth holds up one arm, giving a soft buzz as he runs it along the side of Galo's bicep. The human dips down, kissing Lio's face again. He feels a little push forward, the buggish kissing in return in his own way. Galo laps gently with his tongue, moving to kiss his chin. He loves down, feeling Lio arch up to accept every smooch that he's given. 

Lio can't moan, or make much of any noise at all. Galo is left a bit in the dark at first, lacking any solid indicator of what made Lio feel good. But he notices that he does vibrate and buzz- and he uses that to his advantage. 

Galo sucks at Lio's soft belly, leaving light hickeys on the soft parts of his body. Glancing up, the stars in Lio's eyes change color with the rotating ball in the distance. The moth reaches out, patting his head. 

_ Please, more. _

"More...?" Galo murmurs, dropping the cockiness for a moment. He points to his dripping, pointed erection. "What if I touch you here? Think that'd do the trick?"

Nodnod.  _ Yesyes! _

Galo leans his head down, flashing his teeth in a smirk. He purses his lips, and blows a warm puff of air onto the tip of Lio's prick. The moth's hips buck up into the air, nearly smacking Galo in the process. 

"Woah! I only blew on it." Galo's ears perk up. "You've only been in your adult stage for a little while... This is probably all new to you, isn't it?"

Lio squints, and turns his head to the side in a huff. 

"Don't pout about it! You've taught me a lot of things since we met. Now it's my turn to teach you a thing or two!" 

Galo sets his palm on Lio's belly, holding his hips down. The moth's head pops up, and then thrashes back as Galo kisses the tip of his cock. The liquid emerging from the tip is wet and sticky, seeming to run down into his lips and help add to the wetness. 

The human laps at it like honey, breathing hot air onto the surface of Lio's flesh. The moth buzzes  _ loud  _ now, like he were running on some sort of motor. Still holding him in place, Galo shifts his weight onto his elbows. This frees up his other hand to stroke the folds of Lio's pussy. 

Lio buzzes so hard that he could have been mistaken for an oversized kazoo by anyone listening in. Galo pulls his hand back, laughing into the petals of Lio's cunt as he begins to lap up the nectar of it. Lio thrashes, but doesn't give the signal to stop. 

Lio tastes good. Certainly inhuman, strange and different, but so good. His smell is like a drug, and Galo can't get enough. He's wanting and writhing and probably even  _ fertile _ , and Galo doesn't care if that makes him a pervert. He'll give Lio whatever he wants. 

The moth thrusts up again- and a splash of slick goo comes gushing out of him. 

Galo pulls back, licking the stickiness from his lips. "...Did you cum?" He asks. 

Lio's head seems to spin.  _ I think so? _

Galo doesn't blame him for not knowing. It's not like he'd gone through larvae sex ed. 

The moth collects himself for a moment, wriggling beneath Galo. He paws at the human, hungry, desperate. For once in his life, Galo is finding some joy in being patient. 

But, Lio rolls over again, holding his legs out. He reaches down, spreading open his lips to show the soft, pinkish-orange flesh dripping in wetness. 

Galo gulps. His heart pounds up against his ribs. This is so fucking weird, he thinks. Maybe it would be better to stop before getting in over his head. This is what buggish do, he reminds himself. They lure in members of their clone species and make more of their own. 

But, Lio reaches up to stroke his back, and bumps his face up against his cheek. 

That's not a good way to think, Galo tells himself. Those words had been coming from a place that thought of buggish as being undeserving of sharing the same air. Lio  _ likes  _ him. Thinks the same as a person, and treats him no different. Galo should do the same.

Pushing past his uneasiness and doubt, Galo presses two fingers together, rubbing up and down the length of Lio's slit. His fingers grow sticky, and he sits up on his haunches to free up his prick. For good measure, he sends his shirt flying too. 

Lio's eyes light up with anticipation and curiosity at the sight of Galo's cock. But, the human doesn't give him too much time to investigate, choosing to rub the weeping head of his prick between Lio's folds. An excited hum bursts from the buggish, and his hips rise up to meet the feeling. 

_ Give it to me! I want it!  _ The moth could have shouted, practically humping the air with the intensity that he rubs at Galo's cock.

"Geez, you want it that bad?" He laughs. "You're humping against me like you're in heat or something." He gulps. Then, Galo rocks up against Lio's folds, continuing to tease. "I dunno, maybe you are in heat. Buggish lay eggs, right? I can fill your whole belly up with them, Lio."

The moth's eyes shimmer, his face red and fur rustled. He picks both arms up, wrapping them around the human's neck and pulling down. 

_ Please.  _ Lio pleads with his body, antennae falling back. 

Galo presses in, and all of the creature clamps around him. 

"Ah-! Oh man, you're tight...!" He hisses. Lio squeezes him every bit of the way in, smooth and warm on his inside. He can even feel the muscle connected to his cock twitch- causing him to let out a shaky breath. 

"Does it hurt?" Galo questions, bottoming out inside of the smaller creature. Lio's eyes are wrenched almost to a shut- and he looks more confused than anything. 

_ Keep going.  _

"I don't want to hurt you." The human insists. 

Lio curls into him, and buzzes quietly.  _ It doesn't hurt. I want more.  _ He reaches down with one arm, and slowly rubs his belly.  _ Fill me.  _

Galo doesn't have the heart to tell him no. He pulls his hips back, eyes watering from just how fucking  _ tight  _ Lio is. Saying  _ more, please more, I want you,  _ without the slightest breath. 

He pushes back in, letting out a long and airy moan. Lio hums beneath him, the sweet vibrations pushing into Galo's belly from below. He shifts his weight, pinning the buggish's smaller body under him. And Lio reaches up, drinking in the human touch. 

Galo rocks his hips back and forth, Lio's fur growing wet and matted from his own slick to the point where his thrusts make an audible slap. The moth writhes and hums, mingling with Galo's shallow moans as he fucks into his partner's soft body. 

He gropes Lio's chest, squeezing him just because he can, and because he fits so well in his palm. "You're a natural, Lio!" He laughs between heavy breaths. 

The human nips at the creature's flesh, feeling the slight layer of peach fuzz all over Lio's shape. Sweat falls into his fur from the tip of Galo's chin, and the human grips hard onto his thighs, fucking him hard down into the makeshift nest. Lio tosses his head back, his tiny prick leaking an obscene amount of fluid. 

"Lio... Oh fuck, Lio...!" Galo groans. "I'm gonna cum, do you want it?"

Lio nods furiously, giving the human's ass a punt with his foot. 

"Ah, hah- you first." He reaches down with one hand, grabbing the moth's cock. Lio's eyes go wide open, and all of his fur stands on end. Cum spurts out from the tip of his prick and into Galo's palm. 

When he comes down, feelers going limp again, Galo continues to rut into him with abandon. 

Lio pokes his own belly, face flushed and his body overstimulated. 

_ Inside. Please inside.  _

He paws at Galo's chest, and then rubs his stomach once more.  _ I want you to be inside.  _

"Nn, don't worry, I got it-" Galo grunts. He pants, and smacks his hips into Lio's with no other thought but than to fill his tiny body up with himself, and do it until he's swollen. "Lio, ahah, Li-o!" He struggles out. His balls clench, and sweet, orgasmic bliss takes over Galo's body from tip to toe, and he shudders from the feeling of pouring all of his heat into Lio. Giving himself over to him. 

He slides out, and the moth rolls over on his side. Lio gives a quick flutter of his wings, and examines Galo's handiwork. With a small push, a thick gush of white sperm comes leaking out of his hole and onto the bedding. 

Lio gives Galo a questioning glance.

_ Is that all you've got? I'm not done with you, yet.  _

The human is tugged forward and rolled onto his back this time. Lio straddles him, humming and stroking his cum filled hole. 

"Geez... It'll be a second, it takes a few minutes to get my strength back." Galo refers to his softened, spent cock. 

Lio rocks his hips.  _ I've got all night.  _

The human grins. "Right. Not like I have a job to wake up for in the morning!"

The moth seems to chuckle at this, his shoulders shaking and his eyes curling, but still silent. He scoots back a little bit, looking at Galo's soft prick with some frustration. But, he leans over, and gives a gentle push to Galo'a cheek in a faux kiss. 

The human breathes slowly, his heart rate fluctuating with the movement of the creature on top of him. Lio's eyes connect with his- and the way he crawls back over his torso is too smooth to be human. He stretches out his wings, fluttering them up above his back. Then, holding his light body up on one elbow, he ever so gently rubs his hand over one of Galo's nipples.

Galo jumps a bit- and Lio stops. "Ah, sorry. Your skin's a little rough." He explains. "But keep going! Just don't carried away, or I'll get rugburn." 

Lio nods, and continues. He slowly rubs at the brown spot, rubbing little circles as it hardens into a nub. Galo moans a bit louder than he normally would have, just to encourage his partner. Lio seems to take the cheer to heart, moving on to the other. Galo can feel some life running back into his crotch. 

The moth takes notice of this, and pulls himself up. He looks proudly at Galo's budding erection. He reaches between his legs, spreading the honey-like slick mixed with Galo's semen onto his thighs. The human cocks a brow at this, but then forms a tight 'o' with his lips upon realizing the buggish's plan. 

Lio seems to chuckle at him, a mischevious glimmer in his eyes as he coaxes Galo's cock up and between his thighs. He's tender in the motion, squeezing the human soft as any gentle fingers. 

Galo lets out a soft exhale through his nose, and pushes up into it. 

Lio cocks his head to the side.  _ Do you like this? _

"Nn, it feels good..." The human tells him. "Keep going, don't stop..." 

_ If you say so~  _

The smaller creature flutters his wings and brings his hips up, tugging on Galo's overly sensitive prick. He moves up and down, relishing the continued swelling of the human's cock, along with all of his pleased breaths. 

Once he'd grown stiff again, Galo grunts, and grabs on to one of the moth's hips. "Lemme fuck you-" He pants, tired of the teasing and hoping to feel the tight inside of Lio's body again. 

_ No. _ The moth shakes his head. 

"Huh?"

_ Not yet.  _

Galo whines, and pushes his hips up, finding a bit of purchase in rubbing the outside of his partner's lips. Lio buzzes, then shifts. He spreads his pussy apart, tucking Galo length-wise in between them. His eyes flutter and his cheeks redden again, but it's still not what the human is after. 

"Lioooo." Galo groans, tortured by the moth's riding of him up and down, teasing him with his folds. It's not enough. 

_ Nope.  _ Lio shakes his head.  _ You can't have it.  _

The human grows frustrated, bucking his hips up to find purchase. Lio clamps his thighs closed, an evil glint in his eyes as he only increases the pace. Galo growls at him, his cock starting to ache from want. 

_ Hmph.  _ Lio turns his nose up, and moves away entirely, leaving Galo touchless. 

"Wait, don't stop!" Galo sits up, desperate. But with his wings free, Lio easily pushes back from the human's grabbing hands. He rolls over onto his side, and gives a tantalizing flash of his hole. 

_ Is this what you want?  _ He seems to ask. 

"You are such a little tease!" Galo shoots back. He pulls himself onto his knees, and watches Lio move back over onto his belly, popping his ass up into the air. He gives it a playful little wiggle- with no less than a shit eating gleam in his eyes. 

"Why you-" Galo lunges forward, grabbing Lio by his hips and pulling him back toward his crotch. "Haha! Gotcha!" 

Lio doesn't seem any less than thrilled, pinning down his wings to keep the dust out of Galo's face. The human doesn't give any more warning, slamming deep into the moth's body. Lio reels back, arching his spine and going taut. 

Galo chuckles, bucking into Lio's form as he's met each time with a push back. He leans over the creature, moaning deep and throaty to let him know how good it feels to fill him up. His cum from before still inside making Lio's passage all the more slick, he pushes up against what he can only assume is the entrance to his equivalent of a womb. 

With his face hidden, Lio can't communicate, only moving in time with the human to show that he's enjoying himself. "Do you want me to fill you up some more? I'll make your belly, ah, all swollen." Galo pants. 

Lio once again gives a nod, his bob of hair-like fur moving in time with him. 

Galo doesn't need any more coaxing. He pulls Lio's ass tight up to his crotch, squeezing him as all of his seed shoots into his hole. He shouldn't be so excited about it, Lio's womb swelling up with him. But he is, in a unique thrill that he's never felt before, and he rocks his softening cock in and out just a few more times. 

The moth fans his wings out a bit, going lax in Galo's hands. He pulls out, and more sticky fluid drips from his partner's body and into the nest. 

Lio looks at him from over his shoulder, and Galo can hear the words  _ I'm still not done with you. _

...

Galo can see the sun come up when Lio finally passes out. He doesn't know how he even managed to keep his own eyes half-open. Coated in a gnarly mixture of cum, sweat, and spit, Galo lies spread-eagle with the buggish happily resting his noggin on top of his chest. 

He looks at the ceiling, a bit disgusted with himself, but moreso feeling nice. The part of him that says 'this is wrong, you totally just knocked up a giant fucking moth' is drowned out by the one reminding him that he liked Lio enough not to care. 

He takes a deep breath, curls his head over, and gives the moth a little nuzzle. Maybe things were going to change. But they would be alright. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoyed this thrilling installment hehe


	4. Chapter 4

_ Outside.  _

Lio buzzes at him furiously. 

_ I want to go outside. I'm sick of being stuffed up in here, I want out!  _

The moth darts around his apartment, performing aerial maneuvers that the most seasoned pilot would envy. His cabin fever rattles the walls themselves. 

Galo dives to catch a photo off of the wall. "Lio! Calm down!" He shouts. The buggish prods the back of his head from in the air. "If you want to go outside, you have to put clothes on."

_ Fuck you.  _

"Lio." Galo holds up his hoodie again. "Put it on."

_ Not on your life.  _

"You stubborn little-!" The human yanks him down, tossing the hoodie over Lio's head. The moth struggles, thrashing against the foreign object being set to restrain him. 

Once his wings are covered up, he falls into Galo's arms. 

_ Hmph.  _

"Now pants." 

_ Noooooooooooooo!!! _

Eventually, Galo triumphs over the very stubborn moth part of Lio's brain yelling at him not to cover his wings. It's very strange, how Lio seems to have this internal power struggle over the human half of his brain and the moth half. Instinct and reason fighting at one another, a creature and a person trying to overcome one another. He's sure that is must be hard, and can only try to use his own head to help the moth. 

Once Lio is finally covered up, he seems to think 'oh, that wasn't so bad.'. He calmly follows Galo from his apartment and to the bike, his reason catching up with him again. Galo lets him walk ahead a bit, just taking in the sight of his odd, regal sort of stride. Maybe a bit of his ass too. 

He has no trouble holding on this time, as Galo turns his key into the ignition. "Anywhere you wanna go?" He asks. The buggish only shrugs. 

_ You decide. It's not like I know anything outside of your apartment.  _

"Wanna hit the frozen lake again? You didn't really get to see much of it last time!"

Lio gives his stomach a squeeze.  _ Let's go.  _

It's a much less stressful drive, this time. Lio blends in as well as anyone else at forty five miles per hour. Maybe it feels like flying, to him. The moon wanes up above, providing a perfectly dark night for the buggish to hide beneath. 

Galo drives his bike off of the concrete, through the gravel and onto the dirt. Then, just for good measure, a bit into the woods. He makes a marker with his GPS- and turns the key. 

"Alright Lio. Go nuts. The sky's yours." He offers. And no sooner are the words out of his mouth that Lio's naked again, the clothes plastered to Galo's face. He watches in awe once more as Lio stretches his wings out to their fullest. He leaps up into the sky, flapping with a sense of glee. 

"...Don't you want to be out here all the time?" Galo asks. Lio stares down at him from up in the night air. "I mean, you can do whatever you want. You don't have to worry about anyone finding you."

Lio comes down, fluttering beside the human. He points to his wings, and rubs his feelers. Then, he pokes himself to the face. 

_ I am a moth. But, I am a human. Sometimes I live as a moth, and sometimes I live as a person. _

"Ah... It has to be hard, being both. You like the great outdoors and the air conditioning, huh?"

Lio makes a shape with his hands.  _ I do love lamps.  _

Galo snorts. "You're a bigger goof than you let on." He elbows the moth. "Go on, spread your wings. I'll walk beside you."

The moth agrees, slowly hovering alongside Galo. They walk out of the trees a bit, and out into a clearing. Ahead, a frozen lake lies, reflecting the waning crescent moon on its surface. 

"This is my favorite place to come when I'm stressed out." Galo tells the creature. Lio shivers a bit, but his long fur keeps him warm enough. "You can even skate in your shoes, watch!" He slides across the ice. Lio looks a bit surprised by the way he glides across the surface. 

"Ah... This really helps with my head." Galo sighs. "I wonder what I'm gonna do now? I'm out of a job, and I feel like an asshole for ever being an exterminator in the first place. I felt like I was doing something good, yknow?" 

Lio nods, just listening. 

"I never realized what buggish were actually like... You're just living things trying to get by. And I treated you like monsters for years. If not for you, I might still feel that way." He grunts. "I want to do something that actually helps people! Y'know? All this time I didn't actually want to help anyone, I just wanted revenge on the thing that ended up making my house burn down."

The moth looks up, and nods in silent agreement.  _ I understand.  _

"Heh... Maybe I should be a firefighter? I'd have to take some more classes and maybe deliver pizzas to make ends meet for a while, but I'd end up doing what I want. Right?"

Lio's eyes close in a smile.  _ That's a wonderful idea.  _

The moth comes down, curiously touching the ice below. But as he tries to put his weight down, he slips.

Galo gasps, and reaches forward. He catches the creature just before he manages to stumble back and fall. 

Lio opens his eyes, and touches Galo's chin with his head.  _ Thanks. _

"No prob. But hey, you need to be more careful. Especially right now!" The human chastizes. 

Lio cocks a brow.  _ What do you mean, 'especially now?' _

Galo grumbles. He drops the moth for him to flutter back up into the air, and keeps sliding. "Anyway, I'll call about signing up for firefighter training tomorrow. We're moving on to better things!"

Lio rolls his eyes, and flutters beside him. 

...

Galo sits with a calculator in his hands, and a tenacious smattering of papers all over his dining table. Pens and highlighters add to the chaos, and Galo would have tossed in an abacus if only he owned one. 

Lio peers at him from his nest, out from under his wing, like some sort of bird.  _ What on earth...  _ He seems to whisper. 

"Don't look at me like that man." The human groans. "I'm looking into money stuff. I need to figure out how I'm going to make this work. I already applied for the volunteer firefighter's training program, but I need to go through that before I can make any money again."

Lio cocks his head. Despite his humanity, Galo doubts that he understands the more complex concepts of finances. Hell, he'd always been human, and even he barely made it through tax time! 

_ You stress too much.  _ Lio waves his hand back and forth at him. 

"I'm not stressing! I'm just trying to be responsible for once." Galo retorts. "It's not a big deal."

_ You act like it is.  _ The moth gives a flap of his wings at him. 

Galo grumbles. "I have to learn to handle adult stuff, ok?! Just get off my back!"

The creature's feelers peel back, indignant at Galo's tone. He yanks himself up, irritation clear in his brow as he approaches. 

Meanwhile, Galo rubs the back of his neck. "Sorry. I'm kinda stressing out a little bit I guess. I'm just trying to figure out like... What's gonna happen if you stick around."

Lio cocks his head to the side, still displaying as a bit annoyed.  _ Do I trouble you? _

"It's not you, Lio! I mean geez, it's not like you're draining my wallet. But yknow... What if things change?" He mutters the last bit. Galo feels his face go a bit red. "I need to be here for you."

Lio shakes his head a bit.  _ What the hell are you talking about?  _ He questions, rolling his wrist dramatically. 

"You know!" Galo squawks. 

_ Know what?  _

"Ugh." Galo again runs his hand through his mohawk. "Okay. I'll be blunt here Lio."

_ When are you anything else? _

The human grunts, wondering how on earth a mute buggish can achieve such sass. "You told me that humans and buggish can reproduce. And I've just kinda been. Raw dogging it. For a while."

He gets the feeling that Lio has started to pick up on where the conversation is leading. 

"What I'm trying to say is-" Galo folds his hands in his lap. "If you're pregnant or something, I'm happy to help you watch after your eggs, or anything that comes after that! I owe it to you!"

Lio narrows his eyes at him. He stands up, and gives a sharp prod to his belly. 

"Ack-!" Galo jumps up. But Lio's shoulder shiver a bit as he giggles silently. 

_ Do I look pregnant to you? My belly would be big.  _ He waves the human off.  _ You really do worry too much.  _ Lio leans himself over the table, flapping his wings and sending dust all over the human's papers. 

"Well, I guess you have a point." Galo rubs his chin. "But if it happens, I'm here for you! Now that I'm no longer an exterminator, I should turn over a new leaf and work to rebuild the buggish population, eh?" 

Lio bonks him promptly on the noggin. 

"Ow!" Galo dramatically yowls. 

...

"Welp, what do you think? Pretty snazzy, huh?"

Lio squints. 

"What?"

Galo stands in the doorway of his apartment. Decked out in old, stained, and oversized flame-retardant garb, he proudly displays himself. "Don't I look cool? I'm on my way to being a volunteer! And then I can be a class one firefighter!"

Lio just shakes his head. 

"Geez, who pissed in grandma's sweater?" Galo grumbles. "You were in a bad mood when I left this morning. What's up with you man?" 

The moth drops himself into his nest, curling up in a ball. He frustratedly prods himself in the belly.  _ My stomach hurts. _

"Well," Galo lugs himself forward in his oversized uniform. "Give me a few minutes to change out of these, and I'll see what Dr. Thymos can do for you!"

Lio just gives him a cranky glare, curling up tighter into a ball. 

Treating his loaner equipment with care, Galo does his very best to get the thick and heavy garments loaded up into his closet.

He yawns. Ever the night owl, Lio had kept him up the evening before on another late night stroll across the frozen lake. The new moon had come, leaving them in darkness. While Lio had no problem navigating their inky surroundings, Galo was not such a noctrunal creature. So, the buggish had carried along a lamp until its battery died, signalling that it was a good time to return home. And even then, the buggish had to collect his toll of sex for allowing Galo to sleep.

Galo hopes that his new career choice will carve a better path for him. He hopes to give Lio a good life. He can't live as an insect, or a human. But maybe the human can help do both. If he could help Lio to be content with his life, then Galo would feel happy. 

He steps back out, and finds Lio in the same position. "Poor guy. Show me where it hurts at." He says. "I learned a little about buggish biology, so I might be able to help."

Galo kneels down beside the moth, whose eyes had been wrenched shut. His wings flutter, and he quivers, obviously in more than just a little pain. 

"Hey, Lio! What's wrong with you? What hurts?"

Lio strikes his gut.  _ My stomach! I'm being ripped apart _ ! 

The human feels his heart rate pick up. "C'mere, open up. Let me look." 

He coaxes Lio to expose his stomach. Galo sets his hand over it, and gasps. "Your muscles are going nuts! Maybe it's a charlie horse?"

Lio goes taut.  _ It hurts!  _

"I know it hurts! Calm down, I-" The human gulps. "I'll figure out the problem, just give me a second. Maybe some ice will do it?" He rubs the buggish's spasming belly. He wants to cry, seeing Lio in pain and having no idea how to help him. 

Lio spasms again, smacking the ground with his arms. If he had a mouth to scream with, Galo can tell that his poor companion would be screaming. 

Then, he hears an odd, wet sound, and Lio falls entirely limp. 

_ Oh. I feel better all of a sudden.  _ He opens his eyes, perplexed.  _ How strange.  _

"Oh. Did it stop?!" Galo questions. "Geez, you had me worried! Here I thought you were having some kind of heart attack on me." He laughs. 

Then, he spots something lying on Lio's bedding. It's round and wet looking, an off yellow not too far off from Lio himself. 

Galo makes a look of disgust. "Man, did you just take a dump on my floor? Oh boy. Looks like you were constipated. I'll get some paper towels."

Lio sits up, maddeningly red. 

He buzzes, like a scream. 

"What?!" Galo turns back. "Lio, oh god  _ honey, don't pick it up-!" _

Lio holds the thing out, shaking his head back and forth. He makes so many movements and signals at the same time- Galo can't make out any of what he's trying to say. 

"Stop! Stop, hang on, put the turd down." Galo drags his hands over his face. "I'm not mad, it happens."

_ Shut! Up!  _ Lio makes a furious slash over his face.  _ Tiny! _

Galo squints, and rattles his head around. "What's tiny?" 

Lio looks like he's going to tug his hair out. 

  1. _YOU. TINY. THING._



The human rubs his temple. "Me... You... Tiny... Thing. Tiny thing, me and you. Tiny me and..."

Galo slowly lets his hand fall. He points at the object, his lower jaw feeling loose. "...Is it an egg?"

_ YES!  _ Lio throws his arms up in the air. 

"Oh. Yeah. It is an egg!" Galo laughs. Then, he stops laughing. "Oh my god. It's a fucking egg. Is it fertilized?"

_ Well it better be. _

"I thought you said you weren't pregnant?!" The human tugs at the side of his face.

_ I had no idea! Look how little it is, do you really think I could tell that thing was in me?! _

Galo sits cross-legged on the floor. He takes a deep breath, and releases a long exhale. "Oh boy. You seriously just laid an egg."

_ Yes.  _

"And it's mine?"

_ Well, I don't think it could be anyone else's.  _

"Okay." Galo takes a deep breath. He gives a laugh, as well as a long groan. "Things are just gonna keep getting weirder, no matter what I do."

He smiles again, and rubs at his eyes. "Well don't just let it sit there, I'll wrap it up in a towel or something so it'll be safe!" 

Lio picks up the object, looking just as bewildered as Galo. But, his antennae perk up, and he holds the thing up to his chest. Galo can't do anything but laugh. Life was changing, but that was alright. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eg time...
> 
> Lol thanks as always for reading! You guys have left such nice comments and it really lifts me up!


	5. Chapter 5

"You mean you don't want me calling him Lio Jr.?" 

_ No.  _

"Well. What do you suggest? Buzz Aldrin?"

_ Absolutely not. _

"Well, something will come to mind." 

The two of them sit, just gawking at the off-white little sphere that had come out of Lio's body. Wrapped up in a fuzzy towel, it sits right at Lio's feet. 

"...I have some questions." Galo admits. 

_ I'll try to answer them.  _

"Yeah. I know you might not like, have gotten any bug sex ed. But you have instincts, right?"

_ Yes.  _

Galo sighs. "First question. Is it going to be a larva?" 

_ Far as I know, yes.  _

"Alright. I already kind of assumed that. My second question is- do I need to do anything to help you with it? There's a farmer's shop a few miles away, I can go grab an incubator."

Lio shakes his head.  _ I don't need to do anything. It's fine.  _

"Just set it and forget it. I see." Galo rubs his chin. "Alright, I've got one more." 

_ Yes?  _

Galo rubs the back of his neck. "...What do you want to do when it hatches? I'll be here, no matter what. If you want me to help raise it, then I will."

Lio picks up the egg, stroking it.  _ Outside. Buggish are free.  _ He turns his eyes up to Galo.  _ I chose to be here, with you. This one will choose his own way.  _

Galo thoughtfully watches as Lio explains, displaying his meaning with various gestures of his body. "Okay." He takes a deep breath. "In the meantime, I'll be a good father! I mean, I don't technically have to do anything, but I'll change its towel every day!"

Lio's shoulders shiver in a chuckle.  _ Very well.  _

...

_ Outside.  _

"But what about Lio Jr.? He'll be here all by himself." Galo asks his stir-crazy partner.

_ It's an egg. It will be fine.  _ Lio gives his wings a dismissive flap. 

"If you say so. At least let me put him in a cabinet, I don't want someone to break in and take him." Galo picks up the little white object, carting it off to a safe place behind the toaster. 

The moth rolls his eyes.  _ Do what you will.  _

In response, the human shakes his head. "Geez. So much for maternal instinct."

Lio makes no protest, even snuggling into Galo's hoodie. It must be comfortable on his body now, the man thinks.

Before they depart, however, Lio grabs a shopping bag hanging by the front door. 

"Wanna hit the mall?" Galo questions. Lio rolls his eyes at him once more, and shoves the bag into the pocket of the hoodie. 

Their usual spot waits for them, chilly, but almost like a second home at this point. As always, Lio strips his clothes and stretches out his wings. But, instead of leaping into the air as he usually might, the buggish leans over to rummage in the wadded up clothes. He plucks out the bag from before, and takes it into the air with him. 

Lio lands atop one of the trees. Galo watches him way up in the air, plucking leaves off with the sticky ends of his arms and tossing them into the bag. 

"Hey!" Galo calls up. "Is there something up there I don't know about?" 

No response, as Lio quietly stuffs his shopping bag full of leaves.

"Uh... Lio?" Galo laughs, putting his hands on his hips. "Are you taking up pressing stuff? People usually do that with flowers!" 

Lio takes the bag and hooks it over one arm- then flutters back down. He points to his belly, and then presses his hands close together.  _ Food for tiny.  _

Galo's cheeks grow pink. "Well if you're going to be feeding my kid, you're gonna need the help of some thumbs!" Galo stretches, and pulls himself up the side of the tree. " This is great practice! I'm gonna be a firefighter- ah, I gotta get used to climbing trees! If I want to save people's cats from them!"

Lio chuckles silently. He gives Galo's butt a push, helping him up into the tree. Where the human's weight bends the branch he sits on, Lio's form goes unnoticed. 

Galo grabs clumps of leaves by the fistful, tossing a dozen into the bag for every one that Lio plucks. Soon enough, the bag is full to bursting. 

"There we go! He'll have a nice little breakfast when he hatches." Galo wipes his brow. Lio almost looks relieved, and he hops down to Galo's branch.

He gives the thank you bump under Galo's chin. The human chuckles, and feels a bump on his cheek. Which, in Lio language, might as well have been 'horny'. 

"Right now?" Galo asks. "We're like, actually in a tree." 

_ Oh really? I hadn't noticed. _

Galo frowns. "I'll try anything. But you had better catch me if I fall. What are you gonna tell Lio Jr. if I die from falling out of a tree like this?"

Lio laughs at him, and crawls onto Galo's lap. The human pulls himself back a bit, supporting his body on the thickest part of the branch. He'd grown used to all of the strange parts of Lio's body. From his ambiguous genitals to the fur of his neck, nothing was forbidden territory anymore. 

Galo kisses the buggish's neck, and Lio arches his back up into the touch. The human reaches up and strokes his feelers, all while Lio rubs a circle over his shirt and against his nipple. 

Galo buries his face in Lio's tuft of fur around his collar. He chuckles. "Man... It's been a weird couple of weeks. Just a month ago I was so excited to go buggish hunting, and here I am." He looks up, batting his lashes at the creature in his arms. "Stay with me. For a long time." He mumbles. 

Lio's eyes soften. He pulls Galo up against his chest, buzzing and stroking his head. The human uses this to cuddle him back, and to lap at his torso. He can't move much lower- so he reaches down to rub two fingers beneath Lio's cock. The buggish wraps an arm around his shoulder, holding onto him. 

Galo pulls Lio up closer to him. He can see the waxing crescent moon behind his lover's head, illuminating the soft hairs there. Galo kisses and sucks and laps at him, fingering the small creature. Lio bucks in time with him, holding on to keep balance on the branch. 

The human reaches down to his jeans, and frees up his cock. Lio seems to feel it, already hard, and uses his wings to lift himself up and down onto the length of it. Galo moans, soft a quiet. He holds onto the branch with one arm and Lio with the other, slowly rocking up into the moth's body. 

Lio rides him at a similar pace. It's not particularly hot, nor overly careful. Just a back and forth of giving the other pleasure. Galo moans into Lio's fur, earning a quiet buzz. 

"'M gonna cum baby..." The human groans. Lio seems near to his peak as well, trying to earn more friction on his cock and against Galo's belly. He goes tight, heat splashing onto the human's shirt. Galo inhales sharply, and pours himself into Lio's body. 

"Ah... Ahaha, well. I guess that worked." The man laughs. Lio shakes his hair back into place, equally amused. Galo lets himself slide out, and tucks his prick back in. Lio doesn't leave his lap, however, and cuddles right up against him.

Galo takes a deep breath. "...Hey Lio?" He asks. 

_ Mhm? _

"I love you." 

Lio blinks, and his eyes curl up into his unique grin. He touches his chest, and then pokes at Galo's heart. 

_ I love you too.  _

And, for a moment, things feel right. 

...

Leaves fill Galo's fridge, stuffed in bags to keep them soft and fresh. His towels are fresh and fluffy, and a little cat bed had been placed beside Lio's nest. In it, Lio Jr. sits. Not as if he could do much else. 

A cool breeze blows in through the open window, a clear sky showing the moon making its ascent. The full moon had nearly come again, and with it, the last days of spring had begun to turn to summer. 

Parked in his nest besides the window and the egg, is Lio. The moth hadn't done much more than lounge around in the days since depositing the egg onto Galo's carpet. He would rest, do a few things here and there, and then return to bed. 

"Hey. Wanna go out tonight?" Galo asks. 

The moth lifts his mop of hair up off of the bed, and then slowly sets it back down. 

Galo comes to sit criss cross beside him, parked next to the egg. "Not feeling it? That's alright." He opens up a can of soda from the fridge, sitting it on a nearby end table. "...What's up? You haven't been yourself lately."

The buggish curls up tighter in his place.  _...I'm fine. _

"Well, how about I just-" Galo parks himself next to the buggish, sitting beside his curled up form. "Sit right here. And when you're up to it, you can tell me what's got you so down." 

The buggish lifts up his head. He looks exhausted, Galo thinks. Almost like he'd been 

Galo's brows turn up with worry. "Lio?"

Lio tugs himself up to a sit. His arms shake a bit, and his fur seems to stick out at a weird angle. 

Lio pokes his chest.  _ Galo.  _

"Mhm?" 

Lio pauses for a moment. His hands seem to hover over his chest, as he thoughtfully ponders a way to get his feelings across.  _ Listen.  _ He points to where the human's ears would be on his head. 

"Sure. I'm all ears." Galo puts his hands in his lap. 

Lio seems to sigh, and hangs his head for a moment. He starts to move, rubbing his eyes.  _ I'm tired. Very tired.  _

Galo reaches over, tousling the moth's mop of hair. "You're tired? Is it because you're worried about the egg or something? I'll stay up and watch it if you want. You can sleep easy."

His offer only seems to make Lio more upset. His eyes shimmer and he holds his head at a pitying angle.

_ I'm going to sleep. Soon, I will sleep.  _

The human rubs his chin. "Are you gonna go into some kind of hibernation? I guess that makes sense."

Lio sends him a look that is hurt. And then, he does something that Galo hadn't even realized a buggish could accomplish. 

Lio cries, tears rolling from his black eyes and off of his cheeks.  _ Big sleep. Big sleep.  _ He signs. 

"Why are you crying?" Galo grabs the creature by his shoulders. Lio just seems to cry harder, shaking and shivering in Galo's grasp. 

_ Big sleep. Not wake up.  _

"You won't... Wake up...?" Galo questions. "What do you mean won't wake up?"

Lio can't compose himself enough to signal. Galo shakes him by the shoulders. "Hey! Don't cry, it's... Lio, don't look at me like that. What does big sleep mean? Lio?"

Lio closes his eyes, and goes entirely still. He opens them again. 

_ Die.  _

The human blinks, over and over. "Is this a joke?"

_ No.  _

"But, but why would you die? You're fine! I mean, you've only even been an adult for a month! That doesn't make any sense."

Lio manages a soft look. He points to his face.  _ I can't eat. I transform, I make eggs, and then I die. It's my fate.  _

"You can't eat? I thought you just like, filtered dust or something?" Galo's lip shakes. 

Lio sullenly shakes his head. But, then, he manages his lipless smile.  _ But, I'm happy. _

Galo feels tears fall from his own eyes. "You're happy? You haven't even been alive that long, and you're happy? Lio, you can't die! I love you!" 

_ I love you too! _ Lio shakily signs.  _ Happy I know Galo.  _

Galo wipes at his eyes. "You make me happy too! I'm the happiest person in the whole world, everything has gotten better because of you!" He sobs. 

"Lio!" He throws himself around the creature- and feels a tight embrace back. 

Galo cries, and cries, and so does Lio with him. It hurts. Everything was going well, changing and for the better. He had saved Lio from an early death- and now he was going to die so soon anyway? It just wasn't fair! Everything good in Galo's life got taken away!

Eventually he can't cry anymore. Lio stokes his back, and Galo traces the underside of his wings. He wants to be held, to be comforted, for someone to tell him that it's going to be okay.

Lio leans back from him.  _ I'll be awake for a little while. I want to be with Galo, until I sleep.  _

"You have a little time left... I'll be here for you. Anything you want, I'll do it."

The moth points over Galo's shoulder.  _ Take care of tiny.  _

"I'll take care of him, of course." Galo feels his stomach clench. "You... You won't even get to see him, will you?"

_ ...No.  _

Galo sniffs. "I'll take care of him. And feed him the leaves, and take him out to the forest where he'll be happy. I promise." 

Lio seems relieved at this. He lies down, and Galo jumps. 

_ Just sleepy.  _

"Oh thank god."

...

Lio doesn't do much anymore but rest. Galo refuses to leave his side but for a few minutes at a time. The moth simply lazes, the energy that he had built up before his metamorphosis starting to run thin. 

"Does it hurt anywhere?" Galo murmurs, running his hand through the soft scruff on Lio's shoulder.

_ No. I'm just very tired.  _ Lio assures him. 

The first night since Lio had given him the news, Galo reels in shock. He can't believe how stupid he'd been, not to see the signs. The moth had been growing quieter, weaker. Using the last of his energy to give life to something new. The last time he'd managed to take flight, it had been to reach the softest leaves for his newborn larvae that he would never meet. 

Galo feels like his insides are being torn apart. And yet, Lio seems very calm. Maybe it's simply the part of him that isn't human- but the buggish doesn't seem to fear his own end. He'll just go to sleep, in his mind, and won't wake up again.

_ Happy.  _ He signs, over and over again, drawing a little grin over the flat plane of his face.

The second day, Galo tries to bargain, to fix things, and becomes angry when he realizes that he can't. Lio's life couldn't be extended. But, at least he gets up a few times, following Galo to the kitchen. The human can barely stand to eat while his love wastes away. But Lio pushes him, making damn good and sure that he's fed.

The full moon hangs in the sky on the third night. It filters in through Galo's window, and reflects its light off of Lio and his bodies. 

Galo lies with the buggish. Lio grows weaker, sleepier. He lies on blankets and towels, intermingled with a few of the leaves that he had picked for the baby. Galo couldn't take him 'outside' anymore- but at least he could offer the scent of it to him. Lio seems to appreciate the gesture.

"...You know Lio, I don't know where we go when we die." Galo breathes after a long silence. "Maybe you'll see a lot of other buggish and you can be friends. Or maybe, you'll just go to sleep. But wherever it is, don't... Be scared. We all die someday." 

Lio nods quietly. 

Galo sits up, and picks up their egg. "Me and the baby are right here. We always will be. Promise." He tears up again. "...Lio?"

_ Yes...? _

"I think I thought of a good name." Galo laughs through his tears. "Tiny. You always call him that."

Lio manages to get a sparkle in his eyes.  _ I like that. Tiny. _ He makes the gesture with shaky hands. 

"Me n' tiny are here. You just rest easy. "

_ Rest...  _

"Yeah. Just close your eyes, and don't worry about a thing anymore. I've got it covered."

_ Yes... Rest.  _

"...Hey Lio?"

_ Mhm? _

"I love you. "

_ Love you too.  _

Galo smiles, and nuzzles Lio's forehead. 

The moth manages to lift his head up, and bump Galo's chin.

_ Thank you.  _


	6. Chapter 6

The worst part is that Galo can't tell when Lio dies. He doesn't breathe, and his heartbeat had already grown so weak. He might have been dead for minutes or hours when Galo brushes his arm, and realizes that it had gone cold. 

He cries and holds the moth's limp body, apologizing. He'd tried so hard to help and do good, but it hadn't worked in the end. Lio had died anyway. He was alone anyway. It wasn't going to get better. Lio had been a driving positive force, and now he was dead. 

When morning comes and the moon is gone, Galo uncovers the gas fireplace. He'd been afraid of fire since the incident as a child. But, moving forward, he would have to be stronger than that fear. 

He pulls out the logs and reveals only the gas burners beneath. He picks up Lio's body, and sobs when he realizes just how light he was in his hands. This whole time he'd been wasting away, starving to death. He'd lived this chapter of his life to create a new one, and move on to leave room for it. But he'd chosen to become part human because they were pretty. He understood, felt things. He'd deserved so much more. 

Galo sets Lio's tiny body into the fireplace. He closes the grate, and turns on the gas. Being made of material so light- his entire shape goes up in flames. Seeming to dissolve, it doesn't even take an hour for what remained to be reduced to a fine, powdery ash. 

Galo finds a jar for him. At least, something temporary. He uses a dust pan, pain stakingly depositing every last bit of soot into the container. Lio fits just right.

The human man takes his still warm jar of ashes, and sets them beside of Tiny. He lies down in the cold nest, and weeps. 

...

Morning comes the next day, as it always had before. How dare the sun shine and the birds sing without Lio? He sits at the table in his kitchen, drinks his coffee and eats a waffle from the toaster. But why does he move at all, when his heart is broken? It hurts so much. He keeps the jar of Lio's ashes with him, like he will rise from it like a phoenix. 

But, Lio never comes. His ashes sit still. 

Galo looks over to his nest. But, it doesn't sit empty. Tiny remains, snuggled up in the place where he'd been left, waiting for someone to come and stroke his shell. 

The human pads over to Lio's last piece of himself left on the world. He runs his palm over its smooth surface. "I promised Lio I'd put you in a fresh towel every day until you hatch. I should do that, at least." He mutters. 

Galo cradles the egg in his arms, managing to leave the rest of Lio's remains behind. He wraps it in a fluffy blue towel, and manages to smile. "It's just me and you." He whispers. "Lio's in a better place. He can't look after you anymore. But I will." He sniffs. "I always will, promise."

...

"Please let me be a member of burning rescue!"

"What?"

Galo kneels on the ground, his hands and nose pressed to the concrete. A broad, mustached man stands in front of him, holding a mug of coffee in one hand. "I'll do anything sir. I'll mop floors and clean toilets and get you coffee, you don't even have to pay me!"

"Burning rescue isn't a place for college dropouts." The man tells him. "It's an advanced fire fighting squad. Just because you've been a volunteer for a week doesn't make you qualified. Go home."

"I don't have anything to lose. I just want to learn from the best. Take me as your apprentice! You won't regret it!" Galo pops his head up. "There's no fire the the world that burns brighter than the one in my heart. I want to protect people with that fire! So please, teach me!"

The man finishes his coffee. "Call me Ignis. The toilets here are nasty. Hope you brought your toothbrush." 

Galo lights up with hope.

... 

"I did it Tiny!" Galo bursts through the door. "I'm starting at Burning Rescue tomorrow morning! I'm gonna be running with the big dogs!" He hops over to the orb, spinning it around in a circle. 

Galo holds out a little necklace. "Of course, I had your dad's help." 

The human takes his egg and sashays into the kitchen. Lio sits in a heart-shaped urn, wrapped up in a piece of the blanket from his nest. Even if his soul had moved on, the birds still sing and the sun still shines. It had to keep going, Lio or not. 

Galo pulls his leftovers from the night prior out of the fridge, licking his lips. Leftover pizza somehow tasted better on the second day. 

He takes a bite, and feels the egg move a little. "Wanna try some?" He jokes. 

The egg cracks. 

Galo drops his pizza slice. "Ah...!" He begins to sweat, holding the egg. "Tiny, are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to crack your shell!"

It cracks more. Galo can feel a thrash inside of it. He hadn't hurt it- rather, the time had come for the little one to hatch. He gasps, and dives for a safe place. With Lio's nest gone, he sets Tiny in the pet bed that he'd gotten for him. 

Sitting on his belly, Galo watches with wide and anxious eyes as the egg twists and thrashes. He coaxes the towel off, removing the potential barrier. 

"Come on little guy. You got this." Galo encourages. Though all the while, his heart slams up against his chest. What would it look like? A baby with sixteen legs? A worm with a baby's face? 

It bursts up from its shell hind-end first. Galo watches it wiggle, and hops up. "Come on Tiny! Other way, turn around!" 

The other half of the shell pops open, and Galo gets a look at the gold face of a buggish grub. It wiggles and tosses, and by this point Galo feels safe in tossing away the last bits of his shell. 

Tiny is a normal, healthy looking buggish grub from all he'd learned of the species' biology. He's white and blonde, coated in a thick layer of bottlebrush fur. He has normal, grabby little feet, and a hard-plated face already munching at the shell pieces stuck to it. And, around the tops of his feet on his belly, are a few stray strands of blue fur. 

It's the most wonderful sight Galo has ever laid his eyes on. Eight legs, coarse hair and all, it's perfect. 

"Tiny, you're huge!" Galo laughs through a tear. "I'm so glad, I finally get to meet you! I thought you'd be weird, but you're perfect!" He giggles as the worm experimentally reaches up to examine his face. He gives an experimental little nibble. 

"Oh! I have something for you." He takes the newborn with him to the fridge, where the leaves remained. "I'll warm these up a bit for you. Your dad picked them. Uh, your other dad. Though I helped. It's a lot to take in on your first day, I know." He unbags the leaves, letting Tiny dry off on his shoulder. 

Galo warms the leaves just to room temperature. He pulls them out of the microwave and feels them with the back of his hand, and with a hum, he holds one out to Tiny's face. "Does that smell good?"

It must have smelled delectable. The caterpillar lurches forward, eagerly munching the leaf. Galo grins from ear to ear, and feeds him another. He puts Tiny back in his bed, and lets him eat. 

Galo sits with a dumb smile on his face. "You did so good Lio..." He whispers. "Tiny's perfect, I wish you could see him." He pets the back of the worm, and sighs.

Tiny eats for a while. One by one, Galo takes each leaf and gives it to him. The little booger ate like an ATM would take cash, slowly nibbling each bit until it disappeared. The human sighs, brushing the grub's coarse, spiny hairs. This one little piece of Lio had lived. Lio, and himself. It's very hard to look at Tiny, so far from human, and for Galo to think 'my baby', but rather, 'Lio's baby'. He knows it's both- but the emotion is very odd, and very foreign. However, it isn't painful. Just new. 

His heart beats for this wiggly, tiny thing. It had come from Lio- and it held a beacon of light in its heart, holding up hope for an entire species. 

Galo has one thing left to do. 

He scoops the caterpillar up and tosses him over his shoulder. Wrapping a scarf around himself to cover the tiny creature, Galo sneaks off to his bike. The only thing that the creature seemed to know how to do is hang on- but he takes it slow anyway. 

Up and off of the concrete, though the gravel and onto dirt, then into the woods for good measure. Galo finds the tree that the leaves had come from- and unwraps Tiny from his scarf. "Here. You can eat all you want now." He whispers. 

Galo holds the worm out. Small and defenseless, he wiggles helplessly in the human's grasp. 

It would be so simple to end it, Galo thinks. Another kid would never have to be woken in the night to an unknown insect terror in their bed. Cities would be safe, and people could traverse the forest without the fear of their blood being taken for another creature's reproductive cycle. 

But it's just a thought. 

"Here you go little guy." He plants the little one onto the tree's trunk. And, drawn by the sweet smell of the leaves, it begins its ascent up the trunk. 

But as Tiny climbs higher, Galo can feel his heart sink lower. "Dad loves you, don't forget that!" He calls up. "You eat a lot and get real big!" The tears fall as the little once ascends too far for him to reach. "You better come and visit me when you get older!" 

Tiny disappears into the canopy. Galo sobs, and falls to his knees. He cries all alone in the darkness, his weeping silencing the forest. "Don't leave me alone..." He sobs.

"Is someone there?" 

Galo pokes his head up. 

"Hello?" 

Someone steps out of the trees. Galo blinks at the oddly regal way that they walk, dressed in white fluffy clothes even in the forest. They have big, starry eyes that look worriedly down at him, and a mop of blonde hair atop it all. 

"...Lio?" Galo breathes. 

The other man blinks. "What?" He peers forward. "How do you know my name? I don't know you."

The teary eyed man sputters. "O-oh! You looked like someone I know for a second!"

"Yeah... So, what are you doing out here?" The blonde asks. He blinks curiously, much smaller than Galo, he had to be a bit wary. 

"Uh. Nothing." 

"...Nothing. I see." The man surmises. He puffs himself up, and steps toward Galo. "My friends and I are having a campfire just a few minutes down the trail here. Why don't you come and join us?" 

Galo rubs his arm. "Oh... I mean, I don't want to barge in. I'm just a stranger." 

"My friends will be kind to you." The blonde says. "I wouldn't... Want anything to happen to you, all alone out in these woods. You never know what might be out there in the darkness." The man rubs his neck, and a small scar shows itself for a second. 

He holds out his hand. "What's your name?"

"...I'm Galo." The man smiles. 

"Galo... Hm, maybe we have met somewhere. Come on." Lio smiles at him, sweet and beautiful with all the teeth in place. 

Galo is helped up. He takes one last look over his shoulder. Tiny would be okay. He'd been born with a burning soul. For now, Galo looks ahead. Things were changing, and that was for good. 


End file.
